Google is ramping up its Checkout platform.
I’ve heard rumblings from my sources within the company and from a few of the merchants involved in the Checkout program that something major is on the way… soon.
Tonight, it seems that Google has added Checkout to the main search page in a very prominent way…
Here comes the fun.
I’ll release some info when I can, but let me know you opinions on how this relates to affiliate marketing. Strap in… it’s going to be a wild ride in the coming weeks.
[EDIT] Jonathan (TrustNo1) has also posted on this development over at ABestWeb. Be sure to follow the conversation there as well!
🙂 I just posted about this 12 minutes before this blog:
http://forum.abestweb.com/showthread.php?p=652363#post652363
Some opinions on it in that thread.
Good for you!
Good idea. I don’t want to know, wouldn’t want you to cross your source. Looking forward to any info you’re allowed to post in the coming weeks.
Yes please, what Google employee was this?
As this MarketWatch piece points out PayPal is feeling the heat. They are clearly looking to merchant shop carts as a growth market and Google is running head first at this market.
Google is and will continue to earn the TRUST of consumers as a centralized wallet. Yes, a wallet. It’s failed as a concept in the past but is going to catch on. Look to Google to launch grass roots ad (and other) campaigns to keep the momentum going… asking consumers to “give us your charge card in exchange for protection” (email controls and centralized payment that does not EVER ‘dip into’ your bank account… a la Paypal).
The Net auctioneer announced that it will double, to $2,000, the amount it refunds to buyers jilted by sellers, whether they’ve receiving damaged goods or if orders never show up.
Why?
“PayPal is the safest way to pay on eBay,” eBay Senior Vice President Rob Chestnut said in a statement.
Why? It’s the ONLY way to pay so why the need to use the words “safe” and “PayPal?” I’ll tell you why — branding that combats (cuts off) Google’s future push to brand similarly.
Again, here. Notice that this is all about earning consumers trust and giving them a means to checkout (indeed, TEST out… safely) merchants they’ve never heard of, are unfamiliar with — smaller merchants.
Brian at ShareaSale, you listening?
Now consider a CPA network implications (implementation of by Google) in the SME marketspace. Brian, you know how SMEs prefer to spend on a CPA over a CPC!
From that last link… in comments. Here’s my point illustrated:
deliriousnyc says:
I was shocked last week when I was updating my PayPal information and it asked for my bank online account name and password. With that information, they literally could go into my account AS ME and wreck havoc. Fortunately, there was also the option of simply providing your account number and bank routing number and waiting while you confirmed a small (2-3 cent) deposit or two. But I couldn’t believe they even suggested the former option. It made me stop to check out the site and make sure it wasn’t a fake phising scam.
Score, again, for Checkout.
Add that to the brand damage that phishing scams have done to PayPal over the last few years.
PayPal is effectively cut off from its user base in terms of email communication, which is where most users are the most receptive to receiving information. I use PayPal for CostPerLove and other payments, but I never open/respond to emails from or that include PayPal.
I’ve been trying to get someone from PayPal on the record to talk with me about how they see their position in such places as affiliate marketing, etc.
As social shopping sites continue to be introduced, will eBay continue to grow or has it reached a glass ceiling? How will that affect PayPal’s overall usage compared to Checkout?
What’s to prevent PayPal from creating a similar service that is more a “wallet” and then capitalizing on its enormous existing user base?
I’d say branding issues (too closely connected to eBay and tip jars) and inability to adequately communicate with customers via email. Checkout seems to be aimed at being more of an across-the-board merchant solution. I’m not willing to go the “wallet” route, however. Bad memories of Passport!
Good points. I guess what I’m getting at is that I can’t imagine PayPal not figuring out a way to leverage their userbase and keep Google from eating their lunch. And part of me still thinks that Google’s offering won’t stick anyway. I’ve used it once to get my $10 discount but I don’t see using it again.